Knife mounting arrangement for forage harvester row crop attachments

ABSTRACT

A row crop attachment for forage harvesters has a plurality of row crop divider units arranged side-by-side on a base frame to define a plurality of crop conveying paths through which gathering chains pass for conveying crop material through the crop conveying paths. A pair of rotary knives with cooperating cutting edges are disposed adjacent an entrance of each crop conveying path for cutting off crop material before it is conveyed through the crop conveying path by the gathering chains. A mounting arrangement for each pair of rotary knives includes one knife of each pair of rotary knives fastened to a hub shaft which has a splined connection with a sleeve that is rotatably supported on the base frame. A spring urges the hub shaft in a direction to urge the cutting edge of the one knife into contact with the cutting edge of the other knife of each pair of rotary knives.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to forage harvesters and, inparticular, to forage harvester row crop attachments.

Row crop attachments for forage harvesters typically include a pluralityof row crop divider units arranged side-by-side on a base frame todefine a plurality of crop conveying paths through which gatheringchains pass. A pair of rotary knives are provided adjacent an entranceof each conveying path for cutting off crop material before it isconveyed rearwardly through the conveying paths by the gathering chains.One of the knives of each pair of rotary knives is spring loaded intoengagement with the other knife. The spring loaded knife is driven by arelatively small shaft connected to the knife by involute splines. Thistype of knife mounting arrangement is not reliable since it wears outquickly thus preventing the knives from cutting properly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved knifemounting arrangement for forage harvester row crop attachments which isreliable and which does not wear out quickly.

The present invention is directed to a forage harvester row cropattachment including a plurality of row crop divider units arrangedside-by-side on a base frame to define a plurality of crop conveyingpaths through which gathering chains pass for conveying crop materialthrough the crop conveying paths. A pair of rotary knives withcooperating cutting edges are disposed adjacent an entrance of each cropconveying path for cutting off crop material before it is conveyedthrough the crop conveying paths by the gathering chains. A mountingarrangement for each pair of rotary knives comprises one knife of thepair of rotary knives fastened to a hub shaft which has a splinedconnection with a sleeve that is rotatably supported on the base frame.A spring urges the hub shaft in a direction to urge the cutting edge ofthe one knife into contact with the cutting edge of the other knife ofthe pair of rotary knives.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a row crop attachment for forageharvesters incorporating the preferred embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along lines 2--2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along lines 3--3 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along lines 4--4 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along lines 5--5 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken along lines 6--6 in FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged sectional view taken along lines 8--8 in FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a row crop attachment 10 has a base frame 12adapted for mounting on a forage harvester (not shown). The attachment10 includes a plurality of row crop divider units 14, 16, 18, 20 and 22arranged side-by-side on base frame 12 to define crop conveying paths24, 26, 28 and 30 through which crop material is conveyed. Disposedadjacent an entrance to each of the conveying paths 24, 26, 28 and 30are a pair of counterrotating knives 32 with cooperating cutting edgesfor cutting off crop material near the ground before it is conveyedrearwardly through the conveying paths. An exit of each of the conveyingpaths 24, 26, 28 and 30 is disposed adjacent a converging auger 34 whichis mounted above a floor 13 in the base frame 12. As viewed in FIG. 1,the auger 34 has opposed flighting 36 and 38, respectively, forconverging crop material exiting from the conveying paths 24, 26, 28 and30 toward centrally disposed paddles 40 on the auger 34. Paddles 40 feedcrop material rearwardly into feed rolls (not shown) of a forageharvester where it is processed in a conventional manner. The attachment10 also includes a stalk guide 42 and feed assist rollers 44 for thepurposes described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,512,527 to J. E. Shriver et al andU.S. Pat. No. 4,901,510 to J. R. McClure et al. Snouts 15, 17, 19, 21and 23 are attached to the leading ends of the divider units 14, 16, 18,20 and 22, respectively.

A pair of gathering chains 46 with cooperating lugs 48 pass through eachof the conveying paths 24, 26, 28 and 30 from the entrance to the exitthereof in order to convey crop material through the conveying paths 24,26, 28 and 30. Each gathering chain 46 is wrapped around a drivesprocket 50 and one or two idler sprockets 52, 53. Stripper plates 49,best shown in FIG. 5, are located above the drive sprockets 50 forstripping crop material from the lugs 48 of the gathering chains 46.Adjustment mechanisms 54 are provided for tensioning and taking up slackin the gathering chains 46. The drive sprockets 50 are powered by abevel gear arrangement 56 which receives its power from a drive line 58that is connected to the forage harvester. As seen in FIG. 1, thegathering chains 46 passing through each of the conveying paths 24 and26 (i.e. left of longitudinal center line CL) are in a non-extendedconfiguration where a drive sprocket 50 and one idler sprocket 52 areemployed while the gathering chains 46 passing through each of theconveying paths 28 and 30 (i.e. to the right of longitudinal center lineCL) are in an extended configuration where a drive sprocket 50 and twoidler sprockets 52, 53 are used. It will be understood that thegathering chains 46 are shown in this combination of non-extended andextended configurations only for purposes of illustration. During normaloperation of the row crop attachment 10, all of the gathering chains 46would be in either the non-extended or the extended configuration.

By utilizing bars 60 best shown in FIGS. 2, 4 and 8, the gatheringchains 46 may be easily and quickly converted between their non-extendedand extended configurations. Each bar 60 supports an idler sprocket 53in cantilevered manner at its outer end 60a while being fastened bybolts 62 and nuts 63 at its inner end 60b to a flange 64 which is formedon framework 66. The flanges 64 each have a series of alternatingcircular holes 68 and elongated slots 70 formed therein so that the bars60 may be used universally to convert any of the gathering chains 46from the non-extended to the extended configuration. The outer end 60aof each bar 60 has a hole 72 for receiving a bolt 74 on which an idlersprocket 53 is rotatably mounted via a bearing 76. Nuts 78 are threadedonto the lower ends 74a of bolts 74 to secure the idler sprockets 53 tothe bars 60. Upper and lower spacer members 80 and 82, respectively,support the bearings 76. A retaining ring 84 is mounted in a groove ineach idler sprocket 53 and is sandwiched between an associated bearing76 and lower spacer member 82. Washers 86 are disposed between the heads75 of bolts 74 and the upper spacer members 80. Disposed between thebars 60 and the nuts 78 are washers 88.

Referring now particularly to FIG. 3, a mounting arrangement for eachpair of knives 32a, 32b is illustrated in cross-section. Lower knife 32ais fastened by screws 90 to a hub 92 that is rotatably mounted in aportion 94 of framework 66 by roller bearings 96. A gathering chainidler sprocket 52 is connected to the hub 92 by mating splines 98 sothat the idler sprocket 52 and the hub 92 rotate in unison. A bolt 100extends through a washer 102 into the hub 92 to secure the idlersprocket 52 on the hub 92. Upper knife 32b is fastened by screws 104 toa hub shaft 106 that has a splined connection 108 with a sleeve 110rotatably supported in a portion 112 of framework 66 via roller bearings114. Sleeve 110 is connected to a gathering chain idler sprocket 53 by akey 116 so that the sleeve 110, idler sprocket 53 and hub shaft 106rotate in unison. Disposed in a central bore 107 in the hub shaft 106 isa compression spring 118 urging the hub shaft 106 and the attached knife32b in a downward direction. Spring 118 thus insures that the cuttingedges 33 of knives 32a and 32b will be maintained in contact with eachother to provide the desired shearing action. A cap 120 is threaded ontoan upper end of the sleeve 110 to retain the spring 118, and a greasefitting 122 is provided on the cap 120 for lubrication.

One important feature of the splined connection 108 as shown in FIG. 3is that the splines in the hub shaft 106 are longer than the splines inthe sleeve 110 thereby permitting limited upward and downward movementof the hub shaft 106 and the attached upper knife 32b. This prevents theknives 32a, 32b from locking up and possibly damaging other parts of theattachment 10. Another important feature of the splined connection 108is that the mating splines on hub shaft 106 and sleeve 110 are squaresided which prevents the hub shaft 106 and the attached upper knife 32bfrom wobbling during operation of the attachment 10.

Referring now in particular to FIGS. 5 and 6, a filler ramp 124 ispositioned underneath auger 34 on the floor 13 of base frame 12 behindthe divider unit 18 and adjacent the exits of the crop conveying paths26 and 28. The ramp 124 has a top wall 126 and a pair of side walls 128.A flange 130 at one end of the ramp top wall 126 is attached by bolts132 and nuts 133 to a support member 134 while another flange 136 at theother end of the ramp top wall 126 is secured to the floor 13 by a bolt138 and a nut 139. When viewed from above as in FIG. 5, filler ramp 124is wider at its front end 124a than at its rear end 124b therebyresulting in the ramp 124 being tapered in width from its front end 124ato its rear end 124b. In side elevation view as seen in FIG. 6, top wall126 of ramp 124 slopes downwardly from front to rear. During operationof the attachment 10, ramp 124 improves the feeding of crop from theconveying paths 26, 28 into the auger 34 by preventing buildup of cropin the space between the exits of the conveying paths 26, 28. With ramp124 installed as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the auger 34 has increasedaggressiveness near the center line CL of the attachment 10.

As best seen in FIGS. 4 and 7, the adjustment mechanisms 54 for thegathering chains 46 each include a shaft 140 attached at one end 140a bybolts 142 to the framework 66 of base frame 12. Shaft 140 extendsthrough and has a splined connection 144 with a housing 146. Bolts 148and nuts 149 mount the housing 146 to a base frame member 150. The shaft140 has circumferential grooves 152 at the other end 140b engaged by apawl 154 that is rotatably mounted on a shaft 156 which extends betweenthe sides of a cover 158. Extending into a bore 160 in the shaft 140 isan adjusting bolt 162 onto which a fitting 164 is threaded. A spring 166is held in compression between a shoulder 168 on the fitting 164 and ashoulder 170 on the shaft 140. Adjusting bolt 162 extends through a holein a support member 172, and a jam nut 174 is engaged with the adjustingbolt 162. A washer 176 is disposed between adjusting bolt head 163 andsupport member 172, and another washer 178 is disposed between jam nut174 and support member 172. A spacer 180 on adjusting bolt 162 islocated between washers 176, 178 to permit rotation of adjusting bolt162. As seen in FIG. 7, spacer 180 is thicker than support member 172.

When the gathering chains 46 require adjustment to increase tension ortake up slack therein, the adjusting mechanisms 54 are operated asfollows. Adjusting bolt 162 is rotated in a direction to cause movementof the fitting 164 away from frame member 172 which results in the shaft140 being moved toward the left in FIG. 7 relative to housing 146 due tosplined connection 144. This moves framework 66 and idler sprockets 52,53 away from drive sprocket 50 thereby tensioning the gathering chain46. The shaft 140 is held in its adjusted position by the pawl 154 whichengages the grooves 152 in the end 140b of shaft 140.

What is claimed is:
 1. In a row crop attachment for forage harvestersincluding a base frame, a plurality of row crop divided units arrangedside-by-side on said base frame to define a plurality of crop conveyingpaths through which gathering chains pass for conveying crop materialthrough said crop conveying paths, a pair of rotary knives withcooperating cutting edges disposed on opposite sides and adjacent anentrance of each of said crop conveying paths for cutting off cropmaterial before it is conveyed through said crop conveying paths by saidgathering chains, a mounting arrangement for each pair of rotary knivescomprising:one knife of each pair of rotary knives fastened to a hubshaft which has a splined portion cooperating with a mating splinedportion of a sleeve that is rotatably supported on said base frame; saidsplined portion of said hub shaft being longer than said splined portionof said sleeve to permit limited upward and downward movement of saidhub shaft and said one knife relative to said sleeve; and a springurging said hub shaft in a direction to urge the cutting edge of saidone knife into contact with the cutting edge of the other knife of eachpair of rotary knives.
 2. The mounting arrangement of claim 1, whereinsaid splined portion comprises square sided splines in said hub shaftthat are in snug mating engagement with square sided splines in saidsplined portion of said sleeve to prevent wobbling of said hub shaft andsaid one knife during operation.
 3. The mounting arrangement of claim 1,wherein said sleeve is connected to a sprocket around which one of saidgathering chains is wrapped so that said sleeve, said sprocket, and saidhub shaft rotate in unison.
 4. The mounting arrangement of claim 1,wherein said spring is disposed in a central bore in said hub shaft, andwherein a cap is mounted on an upper end of said sleeve to retain saidspring in said central bore.